Imaging diagnosis: pneumothorax and focal peritonitis in a dog due to migration of an inhaled grass awn

Abstract

A 1-year-old working Kelpie developed pneumothorax and focal peritonitis after inhalation of a grass awn that migrated from the lung, through the diaphragm, into the peritoneal cavity. Radiographic evidence of sternal lymph node enlargement was fundamental in the diagnosis of intraperitoneal disease and prompted abdominal ultrasound leading to definitive diagnosis.

Acute Pancreatitis Associated With Peritoneal Migration of Grass Awn in Two Dogs

“…To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of acute pancreatitis secondary to peritoneal foreign body migration in dogs, although Hopper reported a case with similar features [8]. The dog presented a Gramineae awn associated with focal peritonitis in the same location as case 2 in the present report; however the dog did not show signs of acute pancreatitis.…”

“…The dog presented a Gramineae awn associated with focal peritonitis in the same location as case 2 in the present report; however the dog did not show signs of acute pancreatitis. Pneumothorax was present in Hopper's case and the authors speculated that the grass awn could have been inhaled and then migrated through the diaphragm [8].…”

“…In the abdominal cavity awns have been reported in the bladder where they induced urolith formation in two cases and in the cranial portion of the abdomen where they caused focal peritonitis medial to the descending duodenum [6][7][8].…”

Computed tomographic findings in 44 dogs and 10 cats with grass seed foreign bodies

“…Grass seed migration is a well‐recognised problem in dogs and cats (Brennan and Ihrke , Crha et al ). Grass spikes, spikelets and individual florets (which contain the grass seed) may be retrieved from many sites, including the ears, eyes, nose, brain, vertebral canal, thorax, abdomen, retroperitoneum, subcutaneous tissues and paws (Johnston & Summers , Brennan & Ihrke , Lotti & Niebauer , Aronson & Gregory , Frendin , Frendin et al , Demetroiu et al , Rooney & Monnet , Crha et al , Hopper et al , Dennis et al , Granger et al , Dembovska et al , Baglietto et al , Weinmann et al , Cerquetella et al , Marvel & MacPhail , Bouabdallah et al , Linon et al , Tinterrud et al ). In many cases, septic inflammation occurs as a result of infection by various bacteria that are carried by the seed, particularly Actinomyces or Nocardia spp.…”

Bronchial Vegetal Foreign Bodies in the Dog —Localization in 47 Cases

“…The most frequent ones are awns provided grass inflorescences (foxtails) [10,11]. Once inhaled, these foreign bodies (FBs) tend to deepen their position also migrating trough the pulmonary parenchyma to other body districts [7,11]. Ultrasonography, radiology, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been tested in order to diagnose the presence of FBs [1,3,11,12], but with regard to bronchial FBs, endoscopy still represents the most interesting one, allowing both diagnosis and, frequently, direct removal.…”